Choose Chicago President and CEO Lynn Osmond is proud to announce that Chicago has once again been named the Best Big City in the U.S.! The historic recognition marks the seventh consecutive year that Condé Nast Traveler readers have recognized Chicago with this prestigious honour through the magazine’s Readers’ Choice Awards. This accomplishment speaks to Chicago’s enduring allure to all types of travellers from around the world and follows a record-breaking summer of travel that saw all-time highs for hotel revenue.   

For 36 years, Condé Nast Traveler has captured input from readers to determine the winners of their Readers’ Choice Awards, the longest-running and most prestigious recognition of excellence in the travel industry. And every year since 2017, Chicago has led the pack as the Best Big City in the U.S. This year, the awards were based on the input of more than 520,000 readers.

Chicago’s selection as the Best Big City in the U.S. is a recognition of the city’s incredible hospitality and tourism industries and the people that make our city so welcoming to visitors. For seven straight years, voters have recognized that Chicago is a destination unique among its peers, with something to offer every type of visitor. With 77 vibrant neighbourhoods ready for exploration, best-in-class accommodations, an acclaimed dining scene, thrilling live music and theatre, world-renowned museums and cultural institutions, stunning architecture and natural beauty, visitors have endless ways to explore the seven-time Best Big City in the U.S.

Choose Chicago is also thrilled to release summer 2023 performance data today showing that Chicago experienced a strong summer of travel:  

• Summer (June, July and August) hotel revenue totalled USD $825 million, and hotel taxes totalled USD $46 million, both all-time records for summer months.
• Over one million room nights were filled each month this summer, totalling 3.24 million hotel room nights. That is 4 per cent higher than last year and represents a 92 per cent recovery share compared to 2019 numbers.
• Leisure visitors in particular came to Chicago in droves this summer – buoyed by a packed calendar of concerts, events and festivals, total leisure hotel room demand increased by 8 per cent compared to summer 2022. 
• International visitation increased by 13 per cent compared to summer 2022.

While it was an excellent summer of travel in Chicago, the excitement does not end as fall begins. Visitors to Chicago will continue to experience a full calendar of events and attractions through the end of 2023. Later this week, we will be launching Theater Season, a new campaign to promote local theaters and the over 150 productions taking place across the city. Later this month, we will celebrate the one millionth finisher of the Chicago Marathon during the 45th running of the iconic race, open some of our city’s most notable architecture for exploration through Open House Chicago, and wrap up with Halloween celebrations across the city including Arts in the Dark and the Haunted Halsted Halloween Parade. Later this year, Chicago will transform into America’s premier holiday destination, kicking off with the Magnificent Mile Lights Festival and continuing with events and activations through the end of the year. 

As Chicago celebrates another Best Big City award, we are well on our way to significantly exceeding last year’s visitation numbers, when we welcomed nearly 50 million visitors. Year-to-date hotel room demand is 13 per cent higher than the same period in 2022. 

The 2023 Readers’ Choice Awards are published on Condé Nast Traveler’s website at cntraveler.com/rca and celebrated in the November issue. Follow @cnatraveler on social media and tag #RCA2023.